Parent's Socioeconomic Status, Adolescents' Disposable Income, and Adolescents' Smoking Status in Massachusetts.
Soteriades, Elpidoforos S. MD, MSc; DiFranza, Joseph R. MD
[Miscellaneous] American Journal of Public Health. VIOLENCE. 93(7):1155-1160, July 2003.

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Objectives. This study examined the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescent smoking.

Methods. We conducted telephone interviews with a probability sample of 1308 Massachusetts adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. We used multiple-variable-adjusted logistic regression models.

Results. The risk of adolescent smoking increased by 28% with each step down in parental education and increased by 30% for each step down in parental household income. These associations persisted after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and adolescent disposable income. Parental smoking status was a mediator of these associations.

Conclusions. Parental SES is inversely associated with adolescent smoking. Parental smoking is a mediator but does not fully explain the association.

Copyright (C) 2003 by the American Public Health Association, Inc.